I don't believe they are so secular in making "facts on the ground" and claiming their Biblical lands.

Sure Israel is a very risky place to be. But the level of risk in settlements is extremely high. They need to be protected by the IDF as well as being armed themselves. They can't travel to work or school unless under guard. Nor are they that safe in their enclaves with the Palestinian sniping and shelling that occurs sporadically.

My point is that they have set themselves and their families to be martyrs for their cause while at the same time enraging the Palestinians. They get to kill Palestinians, off and on, as a bonus. When mortars are used distinctions between men, women, and children vanish. These are the heroic Israelis. While not strictly suicidal, they are suicidal by proxy. Not much difference, the way I see it. These folks fuel the fire of hatred as much as the Palestinian suicide bombers. "I will kill you when I can and would rather die than not have my way." is the message of both.

It's a prescription for perpetual violence.

For both of them, it's a tragic way of life. I wish the US had not been dragged into it.